Befriend the Failure you Fear
by Jerald Simon

Do not fear failure.
Befriend the failure you fear.
    Failure can become a dear friend if you let it.
    But most fear failure, and eventually regret it.

Failure is not a folly fool,
to be avoided, and dreaded, and cursed.
    It is a gift we have been given so we might improve
    the performance we’ve daily rehearsed.

Each step backwards is a friendly failure,
    not a foe to be beaten and bruised.
For with each failure we learn something new,
    though most feel discarded and used.

Do not let failure frighten you,
    face it with faith and might.
Encourage it, and learn from it,
    for each failure can bring you new light.

The "As If" Principle (motivational poetry) by Jerald Simon features 222 original motivational poems written by Simon to inspire and motivate men, women, businesses, organizations, leaders, mentors, advisers, teachers, and students. The poems were written to teach values and encourage everyone everywhere to do and be their best.

The poems were written over a 20 year period and contain motivational advice about never giving up. It’s about doing what it takes, believing in yourself and your own abilities and believing in others.

The poems focus on such topics as: Honor, courage, success, strength, will power, leadership, possibilities, confidence, goal setting, optimism, rising above mediocrity, character, never doubting ourselves, being productive, learning from adversity, doing what it takes, being happy, seeing the good in others, forgiving, seeing our own potential and the potential in others, learning life’s lessons, righting wrongs, becoming a self starter, learning to control our thoughts, words, and deeds, and many more.

The Courage to Continue
by Jerald Simon

When others tell you, you can't,
    when everyone says that you won't,
don't listen to them, they're the worst of men,
    continue and do what they don't.

The courage to continue,
    when others retreat and give up,
is a courage to always hold on to,
    to live life and never let up.

Everyone will tell you what you haven't done,
    people often give up right away.
They prefer to quit and often say,
    nothing good ever comes their way.

But if you have courage and do your best,
    and if you continue each day,
you'll live your life and be content,
    and won't listen to what others will say!